A Billion Years

More about the book

One of the highest-ranking defectors from Scientology reveals the organization's secret inner workings in this compelling memoir. Mike Rinder was introduced to Scientology at age five and signed a billion-year contract after high school, joining the elite Sea Organization. Although he was promised advanced training by founder L. Ron Hubbard, he found himself doing menial tasks instead. Despite this, Rinder embraced the belief that his comfort was secondary to Hubbard’s mission, quickly ascending the ranks. By the 1980s, he served as Scientology’s international spokesperson and led its Office of Special Affairs, playing a crucial role in securing the organization’s tax exemption from the IRS and interacting with high-profile members like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. However, Rinder grew increasingly uneasy as Hubbard's unfulfilled promises loomed large. Under the leadership of David Miscavige, he experienced confinement in a makeshift prison known as the Hole. In 2007, at fifty-two, Rinder escaped and became a prominent critic of Scientology, facing harassment and surveillance. Undeterred, he now assists others in leaving the organization. This memoir unveils the dark truths of Scientology and shares a powerful story of resilience from someone who once held a high-ranking position within its ranks.